Pencil



SePLZS', 1945. .1. D. BUCHANAN 2,385,329

PENCIL Filed June 2, 1944 x4 sheet's-sheet s Zf. 5am/AMAN, Y

AToRNEY.

J.l D. BUCHANAN Sept. 25, 194s.

PENCIL v Filed June 2, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 lNvENToR.

Patented Sept. 25, 1945 ,UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,385,329 PENCIL J. D. Buchanan, Burbank, Calif.

Application June 2, 1944, Serial No. 538,444

7 Claims. lCl. 1Z0- 17) AThe invention relates to a pencil, and particularly to a so-called automatic lead pencil whereinthe user can advance the lead from time to time to replace the point as it wears away.

An `object of the invention is to provide a lead pencil of the automatic type wherein the lead may be advanced from time to time by the operator, and wherein neither the lead itself nor any operating member on the exterior of the pencil are employed to advance the lead. This object is accomplished by housing the lead advancing mechanism inside ofthe pencil case and operating the same under control of a weight, also housed in the pencil case, the weight being operable by bodily movement of the pencil. For

example, the weight can be moved, when theJ pencil is grasped as usual for writing and given a sudden throw to operate the feeding mechanism and advance the lead. In making this sudden throw, the pencil is grasped in the manner normal when employing it for writing purposes and by a wrist movement, the pencil is quickly moved along its longitudinal axis in the direction of the point of the pencil and this movement is suddenly checked at the bottom of this throw or movement. An important feature of the invention is to feed the lead through the pencil without changing the writing grasp on the pencil. v

For further details of the invention, referencemay be made to the drawings wherein;

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional View 0f a pencil according to the present invention, showing'the weight retracted.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the pencil of Fig. 1 with the weight in advanced position.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view with partsbroken away of the pencil of Figs. 1 and 2 and with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 2. v

Fig. 4 is a view in cross-section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3. I

Figs. 5 and 6 are longitudinal sectional views of a modifiedform of the invention, these two views showing the operating parts in different positions.v .H I

Fig.V '7 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the pencil `of Figs. 5 and 6, with parts broken away, showing the parts in the same posi- `tion as in Fig. 6. l i.

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional View on line 8-8 of Fig. 7. y

Figs. 9 and 10 are llongitudinal sectional views of a further modification of the invention, these two figures showing the operating parts in different positions.

f Fig. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of the pencil of Figs. 9 and 10, with parts broken away and showing the parts in the same position as in Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view on line I2-I2 of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a longitudinal sectional viewof the preferred form of theV invention.

Referring in detail to the drawings, one form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, comprises a pencil I, having a hollow case 2, the front end of which is provided with internal screw threads 3, receiving the external screw threads 4 on a tip or plug 5 which is tapered, shown at 6, to stimulate the sharpened end of a lead pencil. An elongated piece of lead 'I having aligned sections or pieces such asl 35, 36, slidingly ts ina bore 8 at the tip of the plug 5 and in a-wel1known spring friction bearing 9 and in the bore of a bearing I!) in the plug 5. At an intermediate place on the case 2, the lead 'I is guided by a central aperture II in a bearing or guide block I2 fixed at the upper end of the circular bore I3. This bore I3 extends in the samediameter from the bearing I2 to the top I4 of the plug 5 and its bearing I5. At the rear of the guide block I2 the bore of the case 2 may be of reduced diameter as indicated at I5, the bore I5 at its rear end having a guide block I6 fixed in an enlarged bore I'I at the rear end of the pencil I to receiveV an eraser not shown. The guide block I6`has a central aperture I8 which, like aperture Il, is slightly larger than the lead 1. y

The guide blocks I2 and I6 may have ltapered boresl on the rear faces thereof indicated at I8 and 20, respectively, to guide the lead I centrally of the case 2 when the lead 'I is fed into the case 2 from the rear end 2| thereof.

The lead 'IV is shown as comprising a plurality of sections or pieces such as 35 and 35, each of which is shorter than the bore I5 which serves as a storage chamber for a plurality of lead sections such as 35, 36, which may be fed into the bore I5 one at a time through the guide block I6. The lead sections such as 35 and 36 nd their way one at a time out of the bore I5, through the guide block I2 `ancl they line up a indicated in the bore 25 of the tube 24.

That part of the case 2 which is provided with the bore I3, forms a housing in which slidingly ts an elongated hollow weight 22 which may be of brass. The length of the weight 22" is shorter than the length of that portion of recess I3 in which it slides, so that the weight 22 can move with respect to the case 2 when the latter is given a quick downward throw or thrust by a movement of the wrist, to effect feed of the lead 1.

The weight 22 has a central bore 23 in which slidingly iits a tube 24 which at the major portion of its upper end has a central bore 25 slightly larger than the lead 1. The tube 24 at its forward end carries a circular array of spring clutch members 26 which when forced against the lead 1 as shown in Fig. 1, grasp the lead 1 and feed it v forward under the impact of the weight 22 which overpowers compression spring 3|. The clutch 26 is held in engagement with lead 1 at certain times, and at other times is permitted to openv 26.- The taper tapers away from the axis of the case 2 in a rearward direction, so that the clutch 25 is forced against and locked to the lead 1 when the ring 29 rides `up on the taper 30 as shown iriFigure 1 whereas the clutch 26 opens and is released when ring- 29 moves forwardly I with respect to taper 30 'as shown in Fig. 2`

Around the clutch operating member 21 is arranged a compression spring 3| which bears at its upper end'against a shoulder 32 on the clutch shell 21; Spring 3| at its lower end bears against the top 54 of the plug 52 When the pencil I is grasped in the hand in the same manner as if the pencil were to be employed for writing purposes, if a wrist movement gives the pencil a downward Ibodily thrust or movement which is suddenly arrested, the downward movement of the. case 2 stops when the wrist movement stops', but the momentum of the weight 2-3 carries this weight forward, whereupon its front end 33 strikes the rear end 34 of the clutch operating member 21 the clutch 26 remaining locked tothe lead' 1 and carrying or feeding it forward, until the forward face 31 of the clutch 2E strikes thetop I4 of the plug 5, whereupon the weight 22 urges the clutch operatingmember 21 forward until the ring portion 2Q rides over the taper# 3-0 suiciently farJ to permit rthe clutchy 2S Vto release.

The clutch members 2B arespring members which tend' to spring away from the lead 1 at their forward end, and this spreading movement isv limited by the ring 29 which surrounds the forwardendportion 38 of the clutch 26, the periphery of the forward end portion 38 bei-ng preferably circular as indicated atA 39. and tting the bore ofthe ring 2-9, Between the rea-r end of the cylindricalI peripheral portion 39Y and the taper 30 may-be provided a short taper llA having a greaterV rate of taper than the taper 30- so that the inside corner 4i of the ring 29 will catch the steep taper 4U- to insure that when the spring 3|" moves the parts from the position shown in Figs. 2 and- 3 to thetposition shown in Fig. l, the clutch operating member 2l` and the clutch tube 24 will move as an unit rearwardly, with clutch 26 open, until the rear end l|-2of the tube 24 strikes the guide block I2', whereupon the spring 3|' continues' to urge the clutch operating membei' ZTrearwardly so that Yring2f rides on taper 30 and then locks-the clutch- Y26 on the lead 1.`

aseasze The parts are now restored substantially to the position shown in Fig. 1 ready for another feeding movement if desired.

It will be apparentI therefore, that while grasping the pencil I in the usual writing position in the hand, but elevated, by simply a wrist movement and while maintaining the writing grasp on the pencil l, the lead 1 may be fed forward one or more times as desired.

In the modification shown in'Figs. 5 to 8, no spring is employed. The pencil 50 ishown in these figures may be operated in somewhat the same way as described above, the case 5| having a chamber 52 in which slides a weight 53 similar to weight 22, except that the forward end of weight 53 has an internal taper 54 to serve as an operating member for the clutch members 55' which tend to spring outwardly at their forward ends, but are locked to the lead 56 when the weight 53 is moved downwardly by its momentum due to a sudden movement.v of the wrist when the pencil 5|ly is 'held by the usual writing grasp. Rearward movement ofi the lead 56 is prevented, whileforward feeding. movement is permitted, by providing a clutch 51 in the tip or plug 58,` the clutch 5-1 having a rearwardly facing taper 5a which nts. ina forwardly facing taper 6H in the iear portion of the tip.'58. The forward end of clutch 51 carries spring fingers 61 which lit around the leadv 56; The clutch members 55 are carried-.at theforward end of a tube 6| which has a central bore slightly larger than the lead 5161. The rear end-of tube 6| is secured for exampleV by screw threads G3 to a guide sleeve 64 which slidingly fits inside of the bore 52; The guide sleeve 64 is arrested in its rearward' motion by the guide block 65. The weight 5.3 is moved both forwardly and rearwardly fby the wrist movementv of the user and in its upper limit of movement shown in Fig. 6, the sleeve 64 abuts the guide blocktr, the clutch 551 being open anda slight distance above the top 66 ofthe tip 58. Whenthe wrist movement causes the pencil 501130 move forwardly andthen stop, the forward movement ofi weight. 53 first closes the clutch 55lto lock the same on the lead 56, the clutch 55 and leady 56 then moving forward under actionof the weight 5.3., until Vclutch 55 strikes top 66 of the tip 58 as shown in Fig. 5.

As described in connection with Figs. 1- to 4, pencil 5U hasa recess 68 for aneraser, a guide block 59 having a tapered feed hole 10 and a compartment 1| forlead sectionsV which find their way through taperedfhole 1-2 in the guide block 65.

In the Vmodificationshown in Figs. 9 to 1'2, inclusive, the pencil is provided with a tip 8'1 having a spring andclutch barrel 82 in which is arranged a compressions-paring 83 acting on the clutch members 84 which have a slight rearwardly facing taper 85 fitting in the forwardly facing taper 86; inside'of a ring- 8F in the rear end of the tip 8|. The clutch 84 permits for-- ward feed of the lead SB-andprevents `rearward movement thereof' asin Figs. 5- to 8:

Fitting inside of the front end ofthe cast;` 8'9 is a shell 9D having at its forward end an eX- ternal annular ridge 9+ fitting in a recess 92 adjacent the end of the case B-9-`and clamped therein and'to the top 94fofrthe tip {Hby the case 89 in being secured to the tip 8|-by screw threads 93. The rearl ende of shell 9"hasvan internal flange 95, the front side of which serves asa stop for ashoulder-Son the clutch-member' 91Y which has a cylindrical periphery tting ternal taper 99 on the clutch members |0.0 which i tend to spring outwardly and whichl project for- -wardly from a tube 'having a bore |02 in which the leadv 88 loosely ts. Thefrear end of tube |0| is screw-threaded asshown at |03 into the front end of the tubular weight |04, which has an axial bore |v aligned with the bore |02 andin which the lead 88 is arranged. 'I'he front end of the weight |04 is reduced in diameter as indicated at, |06 to accommodate azcompression spring |01, the upper end `of which bears against a shoulder, |08 on the `'weight |04. -The lower .y end Aof springr |01,bears on the rear face of flange ,95. The clutch member 91 has a rearwardly projecting hollow stem |09 having an axialbore in which the tube |0| slidingly fits.

A s described in connection ywith the other modifications, pencil 80 has a recess I0 for an eraser, a guide block having a tapered feed hole |2, and a storage chamber ||3 for sections of lead which find their way through tapered hole ||4 in the guide block ||5. In this case, the weight |04 is also provided at its rear end with a tapered bore H6 to guide the lead 88 into the bore |05.

When the pencil 80 is thrust bodily forward and then checked or stopped, the weight |04 due to its momentum, continues its forward movement against the compression of spring |01, and in so doing feeds the lead 88 forward as the clutch members 91 and 99 ride forward together until the clutch member 91 strikes the top 94 of the tip 8|, whereupon the clutch 99 in continuing its forward movement moves forwardly with respect to the clutch member 91 thereby releasing the grip on the lead 88, the forward movement of clutch 99 terminating when it strikes the top 94 of the tip 8|. Thereupon the spring |01 moves the weight |04 rearwardly as well as clutch 99 which is fastened to Weight |04, and the clutch 99 in springing out and the taper of this clutch beingv slight, and clutch member 91 being light in weight, the clutch 99 carries with it the clutch member 91 from the position shown in Fig. 10, until the shoulder 96 comes to rest against the flange 95, and thereafter the weight |04 continues its rearward movement to close the clutch 99 and grip the lead 88, Whereupon the pencil 80 is ready for the next feeding movement of the lead 88.

In the preferred form shown in Fig. 13, the pencil |20 is provided with a tip |2| having a bore |22 in which slidingly ts the clutch member |23. The forward end of recess |22 has a wall |24 which serves as a stop for the clutch 23 and for the spring clutch members |25. The

.tip |2| has a ring |26 which carries spring friction members |21 which lit around the lead |28. The bore |22 extends into the bore |29 of a sleeve |30 having an inwardly projecting flange |3| the front face of which provides a shoulder |32 to serve as a stop for the shoulder |33 on the clutch |23. The sleeve |30 has external screw threads |34 which fit the internal threads |35 on a rearwardly projecting ring |36 on the tip |2|. The ring |36 has external screw threads |31 tting the internal screw threads |38 on the inside of the front end of the case ||9. The clutch members |25 normally tend to spring outwardly, as previously described, and they project forwardly from a sleeve |39 having a bore |40 in which the lead |28 slides. The sleeve |39 at its rear end is screw threaded into the weight |4| as indicated at |42. Weight |4| has a central bore |43 in which the lead |28` slides, and this weight slides in a weight compartment |44 formed by the bore of the case |39. IWeight |4| and its connected parts are urged rearwardly by a compression spring |45, the rear end of which bears against the end of weight |4| as indicated at |46 and `the front end of which bears against flange I3 Fig. 13 is substantiauy the same as that of the other modifications, generally speaking. When the pencil |20 is thrust forward and then stopped, weight |4| Vcontinues its forward movement against the action of spring |45, feeding` forward the lead |28 as the clutch members |23 and |25 are locked to the lead |28,I at this time `and as shown in Fig. 13. This forward feeding movement continues until the front end |48 of the clutch |23 comes to rest at the wall |24, whereupon the weight |4| continues its forward movement and carries with it the clutch members |25 which unlock from the lead |28. The forward movement of weight |4| is limited by clutch members |25 striking the wall |24 or the ring |26. Thereupon the spring |45 returns the Weight |4| rearwardly and this weight in being attached to the clutch members |25 of course carries them rearwardly and clutch |25 due to springing out, and also due to the slight taper |49, between the exterior of clutch |25 and the interior of clutch 23 and also due to the lightness in weight of the clutch |23, the clutch |25 carries the clutch |23 rearwardly with it, as in Figs. 9 to 12, until the clutch |23 comes to rest against the flange |3|. Thereafter, the weight |4| and clutch 25 continue their rearward movement due to the action of spring 45, and thereby the taper |45 closes the clutch |25 and grips it to the lead |28. The pencil |20 is then ready for the next feeding movement of lead |28 when and as desired.

One advantage of the pencil shown in Fig. 13 is that all of the operating parts of the feeding mechanism are mounted as a unit with the tip |2|, whereby such units are readily interchangeable and each thereof may be readily inserted into and removed from the case ||9 of the pencil |20.

As described in connection with the other modifications, pencil |20 has a storage chamber |50 for sections of lead which find their Way through the tapered bore |2| in the guide block |52, and an eraser recess as shown in other figures.

It will be apparent that various other modifications may be made in the invention without departing from thespirit of the following claims, and that in all cases material other than brass may be employed for the weight. Also, any suitable material such as metal or otherwise may be used for the other working parts of the Various modifications shown, except, perhaps, for the springs which of course are usually of metal.

I claim:

l. A pencil having a case, a weight movable in said case by bodily movement of said case, anda reciprocating feed chuck for the lead operated by relative movement of said weight an-d said case.

2. A pencil having a case, said case having a weight compartment, a weight movable in said compartment by bodily movement of thefpencil without changing the writing grasp on the pencil,

and; a; reciprocating feed chuckfor the leadl controlledlby movement of said Weight.

3.` A pencil having a case, .a Weightin said case 'movable relatively to said case in one direction, solelyby the momentum of said Weight, spring means for' vmoving saidweight in'. the opposite direction, and a re'ciprocatingfeed chuck having anV axially bore for the leadv operated by relative movementbetvveen said case and said-Weight. 4. Means for feeding the lead in a Ieadpencl without changingl the Writing grasp on the pencil, said means comprising a Weight slidable in the pencil, stops defining a path of xed length for the. movement of said Weight and means for translating momentum of said weight, due to a checked movement of the pencil, into feeding movement of the lead.

5'. A pencil comprising a case having therein a Weight movable by its momentum and recipro- Cil eating over apatnof xed lengthVand a lead `feeding chuck controlledby' movement of said Weight. Y Y l 6.A. pencil having. a. case,.a Weight movable in said casebyY bodily movement of said case, and! lead feeding means operated` by relative movement Yof saidweight and said case, said -Weight and said-leadfeeding meanshavingaligned bores therethroughior the lead.

7. A pencillhavinga case, said case having a leadstorage chamber and a point, a weight movable in-said-case between-said storage chamber: and said point', said vWeightloeing movable by bodilymovement ofsaid case, and lead feeding means for feeding the lead from said storage chamberfto-said point, said lead feeding means being operable byrelative movement of said Weight and saidcase.

- -Y J. D.- BUCHANAN. 

